They all ran.

Salty was the first one to bolt. He wasn’t a good runner, so when Aniko followed suit, pulling Marigold behind her, she quickly surpassed him. Spoons was the last to go, barely escaping the fumbling hands of the meat-puppets that coasted silently behind them.

Aniko didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t, really. Her tired mind was too overwhelmed to process anything she just saw, to make any sort of connection. All that was in her mind at all was the need to get away. To flee those eyes, those limp arms, those cold faces.

When the group reached the second floor, Aniko saw Dr. Leech, Pistol Annie, and Cabin Boy, hanging limp in the air above them. Aniko instinctively grabbed Annie’s arm and, once everyone else in her group had made it up the stairs, slung her down the stairs. The effect of this was much like bowling; the meat-puppets on the stairs went barreling backward. Marigold and Spoons had knocked Cabin Boy into Dr. Leech, and this gave the group the opportunity to run past them up the next flight of stairs. Reaching the first floor, Aniko slammed the door shut behind them, locking it quickly.

“CHAIR!” she shouted, forcing her body up against the door. Marigold dashed down the hall, coming back with a heavy chair from the medical center. With the help of Spoons, the three of them managed to jam it in front of the door–and not a moment too soon. The barricade shook with the force of many creepy people jamming up against it. There was a second of uncertainty, but the chair held its ground.

This didn’t stop the group from piling more chairs in front of it. It was only when the pile was starting to reach the other side of the hall that Aniko finally sunk to the floor, her head between her knees.

She heard from this angle Marigold collapsing next to her, panting and huffing. Slowly, on her right, Spoons sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

I probably look like Colonel, Aniko thought to herself. Colonel…. Dead eyes. Cold fingers. Lolling heads. Aniko felt goose bumps rise up on her arms and neck.

She stood up suddenly, startling the people next to her.

“I’m going to bed,” she huffed. She stalked off toward the end of the hall towards the jail cell when she heard Spoons behind her.

“Вы можете спать в медицинском зале. Там … много места сейчас.”

Aniko turned around and saw him pointing into the medical center.

“Thanks,” she muttered quietly and turned into there instead, collapsing on the nearest bed. Salty was already in another one, and he appeared to be sound asleep.

Aniko was glad she didn’t have to sleep in the prison cell again. It was uncomfortable with the itchy straw, and everyone’s things were still in there. She knew she couldn’t stand to look at them.

They haunted her sleep that night. She’d never seen Aziminil like that, with no hint of a smile or worthless joke. She’d never seen Colonel so emotionless, and she’d never seen River so pitiful, like all the life had gone out of her.

When she woke up, midday light was spilling into the cabin from the small window at the far side of the room. Salty and Marigold were asleep still, but Spoons sat by the door staring out into the hallway.

Aniko silently stood up and sat down beside him. He startled when she sat, as if he’d been spacing out.

“What’re you doing up?” Aniko sighed, trying to keep her voice casual and last night’s events out of her mind. “You look like you’ve been up all morning.”

Spoons started miming as he spoke, trying to convey his words’ meaning to Aniko. “Я думал, что кто-то должен смотреть, а вы, ребята, очень устали. Вы знаете, так как вы плохо спали.”

“You… stayed up to watch… because you had gotten the most sleep?”

Spoons nodded violently.

“That’s nice,” Aniko muttered.

She sat there with Spoons, staring into the hallway while they waited for everyone else to get up. Nothing was said because there wasn’t any need for it. They both knew how the other felt.

Marigold and Salty eventually awoke too; Salty with a list of complaints and Marigold with tears.

“Is Aziminil gonna be okaaaaay?!” Marigold wailed, tears sliding down her face. “I need someone to emotionally support me with my therapy lessons!”

“Why didn’t you start crying last night?!” Aniko huffed, annoyed.

Marigold sobbed again. “I’m soooooorry! I just was too tired!”

Spoons ran up and embraced Marigold in a hug, giving Aniko annoyed looks.

“Look,” Aniko sighed, “It’ll be fine! We can save them!”

“Really?” Marigold sniffed.

“Yeeeees.” Aniko was trying to lie to both herself and Marigold. Truthfully, she didn’t know if saving them was possible, but it was the only option in Aniko’s mind. The problem was, she could easily spot liars, especially when they were herself.

“Then how do you propose we do this?” Salty said, as obnoxious as ever. Clearly the past night’s events didn’t have much of an impact on him. “Cause, y’know, if I die because of those things, I swear to the all mighty gods, I will come back and haunt all of you!”

Aniko rolled her eyes. “Dummy! That man’s prob’ly not gonna kill you! You’ll become his meat-puppet, a servant bound to him by his will, and you’ll be condemned to spend the rest of eternity trapped in a state in between life and death! Who knows what it’ll feel like, but my guess is you’ll be trapped in the very back of you’re body’s subconscious, too weak to fight back and regain your body. It will be there that you’ll spend you’re time, alone in the dark.”

“Thanks for that,” Salty said dryly.

“You’re welcome,” Aniko shrugged.

Marigold started to cry again.

“Да ладно! Будь милым!” Spoons huffed, hugging Marigold tighter.

“Anyway,” Aniko continued, “My plan is….”

“Yes?” Salty raised an eyebrow.

“To research a cure!”

“What?” Salty said. “A cure for what?!“

“The shadow thing!”

“Y’know, I don’t think there are cures for possession.”

“Yeah, occasionally there are!”

“Well, we’d have to be really lucky to find one on our ship.”

“Hey, we might as well try, right?”

Salty shrugged. “Hmmm. I guess.“

“Great! Now, where do you keep your books? Y’know, so we can find this cure.”

Salty thought a bit. “Well, I have a good collection myself, but I’ve read them all thoroughly and there is nothing in there about cures for such a thing!”

“Can I see them anyway?” Aniko asked. “So we can get a second pair of eyes?”

Salty turned red. “No! You can’t! My eyes are good enough to see spell books that are definitely spell books and not anything else!”

Spoons snickered and Salty turned redder.

“Oh! You mean your romance novels?” Marigold chimed in happily from her spot on the bed. She had a lollipop in her mouth that Spoon’s had given her and she was swinging her legs innocently like a little kid.

“What?!” Salty looked appalled. “W-What romance novels?! I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ve been framed!”

“I looked at everyone’s stuff while we were all sleeping. Well, just the stuff of everybody who was in the medical bay. I analyzed everyone’s mental state based on what I found!”

“B-B-But, there must be some huge mistake! Romance novels?! I mean, really?! IT WASN’T MINE!”

“So,” Marigold smiled pleasantly, “I decided you have some long lost love that broke up with you because of something you did, some fault of your own that I’m unaware of. As a result, you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to find love in romance novels since you have trust issues and are too scared to engage in a real relationship because of this breakup. Unfortunately, the love you’re seeking can’t be found in a simple novel and you’ll spend the rest of your life miserable, confused when the companionship you’re trying to find isn’t being provided by this cruel world.”

There was a moment of silence after Marigold stopped. She simply sat there, popping the lollipop back in her mouth and swinging her legs back and forth.

Aniko put her hand to her mouth and snickered. Salty glared at her, still red in the face. “Obviously,” he sniffed, “she’s lying.”

Aniko snickered harder. Spoons chuckled.

“Hey! Stop doing that!”

“It’s funnier if you deny it!” Aniko laughed.

Salty turned redder and stuck his nose in the air, “We need to get moving with our plan! If, that is, you want your friends back!”

Aniko chuckled again but continued to business.

“Where would we find other books on this topic?” she asked.

“Weeeelll,” Salty considered this. “There are people’s personal books by their hammocks a level below us, but I don’t know if anyone would have a book on this topic since I’m the only wizard they’ll need! There are probably more important-looking books in Derek’s office, but I can assure you they’re either decorative or have never been opened.”

“We might as well check, right?”

“I guess.”

“Great! It’s decided! We need to sneak down to the next level without getting possessed! Once we get down there, we need to make a beeline for Derek’s office. It’ll be easier to hide in and will probably have better books.”

“I think you’re overestimating Derek here,” Salty sighed.

Aniko glared at Salty. “So, any objections to this plan?”

Aniko’s question was met with silence.

“Great! Gather your stuff guys, we’re going.”

“Right now?!”

“Yes, Salty, right now.”

Marigold skipped over. “I’m ready to go!”

“Do we have to bring her?!” Salty groaned when Marigold skipped over next to him. “She’s annoying!”

“Weeeeell,” Aniko considered this. “She is frustrating….”

Spoons glared at them both. “Мы забираем ее.”

“Fiiiine!” Aniko and Salty both sighed.

The group crept carefully out of the medical bay room, glancing both ways just in case. Finding the hallway satisfyingly empty, they walked down toward their barricade.

Salty surveyed the mess piled in front of the door. “I see you all got a little excited with the chairs?”

Aniko glared at him. “At least it worked,” she huffed as she began to move some of the furniture away from the door.

It took awhile and everyone’s help, but they eventually got the path to the door clear.

“Okay,” Aniko said, whispering this time, “you guys ready?”

They all nodded. Aniko slowly, carefully eased the door open. She peered through the small crack. Finding no one there, she pulled it open enough for everyone else to sneak through.

The hallway was dark. There were no windows to provide light, and the meat-puppets apparently found it unnecessary to light the way with candles or lanterns. Marigold’s eyes weren’t used to the darkness, and this hallway was darker than she thought possible for midday. Shadows decorated the edges of the walls, creating imaginary foes and a creepy vibe.

Aniko waved them all forward, and they all crept silently down the hall.

Spoons took Marigold’s hand and she squeezed it.

“There’s Derek’s study!” Aniko whispered behind her, pointing toward the end of the hall at the big wooden door.

“Go quicker! We’re almost there!” Marigold frantically whispered back.

“Ребята?” Spoons whispered, his voice shaking violently.

“Are you okay?” Marigold asked. “You’re hand’s shaking.”

“О, Боже мой, кто-то поднимается по лестнице! Иди, иди, иди, иди, иди!” Spoons pointed behind him.

“Oh gosh! Aniko, go faster! Spoons is right! There’s someone coming up the stairs!”

“OH GOD!” Aniko dashed forward, everyone else following as quickly as possible. They reached Derek’s study, and Aniko yanked the door open quickly. Slamming it behind her once everyone was inside, she backed away from it and put her finger to her lips.

“Shhh!”

Everyone held still. They could hear a thumping noise as something ascended the stairs, like a limp limb was banging uselessly against a wall or step. It stopped after a bit, and the group heard nothing. Aniko carefully latched the door.

The room was dark too.

“There’s the bookshelf!” Aniko whispered. “Get looking! Find a useful book!”

Marigold turned toward the shelf and peered at the titles. Sailing Guide, Navigating in a Storm during an Assault, Rainbow Rangers, and….

“Herbs and Cures!”

Marigold pulled it off the shelf. It had a simple leather cover, dusty from lack of use. She blew across the top then promptly doubled over coughing as the dust motes puffed up in a huge cloud.

“Shhh!” Aniko turned abruptly to Marigold. “We’ve gotta be quiet!”

“I’m-cough, cough- trying!”

“Oh my gosh! Did you hear that?!” Salty whispered urgently.

“What, her coughing?” Aniko muttered back.

“No, no! Something outside the door!”

Everyone froze. Marigold held her breath, trying to keep her cough in.

Rattle, rattle.

Marigold stifled a yelp as she saw the handle of the door twist a little, surrounded by a dark cloud of shadow.

“Everyone! Hide!” she quietly called to her comrades.

Aniko and Spoons both dove under the desk, pulling the chair as far in as they could. Marigold scrambled under Derek’s bed, which was a very tight fit. Salty stood looking very disheveled and scared. Then, just as the door was beginning to open, he lunged into an open trunk, letting the lid close over him.

A slow creak filled the room as the door was pushed open. An unnatural cold filled the room, and Marigold could see black smoky tendrils float just off the ground. A figure floated into the room. Marigold could just see the tips of their shoes hanging limply above the ground. They were leather boots, brown and scuffed. Marigold couldn’t tell who they belonged too.

The figure floated into the center of the room. Hovering just above the floor, it began to circle the area, searching for the group. Marigold scooted farther back under the bed, but unfortunately disrupted some dormant dust bunnies. As a new cloud encircled her face, Marigold closed her eyes, willing herself not to cough. When she opened them again, the feet were right next to her bed.

Marigold almost cried out in surprise but just barely held it in. She tried to stay as still as possible, but she was shaking from fear and the urge not to cough.

The feet luckily floated away before Marigold could give away her hiding spot, but as they were floating out the door again, Marigold couldn’t take it any longer. She made a noise.

Koff!

The figure froze in its suspended tracks. It turned again toward the room. It floated back– not just into the room! No, it floated toward Marigold’s bed. The feet stopped– just by her head. As Marigold pushed farther back into the wall, the meat-puppet stooped down lower to peer under the bed.

Marigold, thinking fast, spun out from under Derek’s bunk. She barreled into the person’s feet, rocketing them forward. Popping up on her heels she cried, “GUYS! We gotta go!”

Aniko and Spoons burst out from under the desk. Salty started slamming himself against his chest lid, and Marigold dashed over to free him.

“Пошли! Пошли!”

Grabbing his hand, Marigold pulled Salty from the chest and out of the room just as the meat-puppet lumbered up again. As the group ran down the hall, the puppet behind them gave chase.

But, just as the party was nearing the stairs, Derek clambered up it, and Aniko and Spoons, who were both in front, swerved around. Marigold yanked open the nearest door and the party shut themselves off in the kitchens.

Spoons and Aniko shoved the table in front of the door.

“Something about this seems familiar,” Marigold muttered.

“Get your hand off mine!” Salty huffed, yanking his hand away from Marigold’s.

“Hmph! I was only saving your life!”

“And getting my hand all cramped and sweaty!”

“Well, I guess that idea was a complete bust,” Aniko slumped on the floor.

“Hey, I gotta book!” Marigold waved her book up.

“You did?! Which one?!”

“Uh.” She peered at the title again. “Herbs and Cures.”

“That sounds promising!”

“Ooh! Did I win?”

“Gimme the book!” Aniko snatched it from Marigold.

“Hey! You could ask! Don’t let your deep-seated animosity at the futility of life as a whole affect your everyday colloquy with your friends and peers-“

“Yeah, yeah, sure! Whatever!” Aniko opened the book up on her lap and began to flip through it as everyone sat down next to her.

“Y’know, the table of contents is a wonderful new modern invention that saves both time and energy!” Salty said dryly.

“Oh, shut up!” Aniko huffed, but she flipped to the beginning of the book.

“Hm, let’s see… Introduction, Identifying Herbs, Recognizing Diseases, Poisonous Vegetation-”

“You’re too slow! Look, that title looks promising!” Salty cried, pointing to a section labeled “Magical Ailments.”

Aniko glared over at Salty but flipped over to the section. “I’m not slow,” she muttered as she turned each individual page.

“Okay, now you’re just being annoying! We’re on a time limit here!”

Aniko smiled but flipped to the correct page.

The whole group scanned the text over Aniko’s shoulders. Marigold, too lazy to read the whole thing, caught snatches of the text.

“…is essential for the mixture to chemically counteract the wolfsbane….”

“… applying the substance at the correct entrance point is unimportant only if the poison was applied using type C….”

“…The trickiest ailment to cure, however, is the strange art of possession–“

“Guys!” Marigold pointed down at the sentence she had just read. Aniko read the section out loud.

Spell-based possessions have a variety of solutions depending on the spellcaster. One based on concentration can be easily fixed by breaking this attention, but others are more permanent. Depending on the magic basis of the spell caster, one can in fact dispel the enchantment with certain repelling components. These will depend on and change in different circumstances, all of which is discussed with the figure 4 on page 432.

Despite these opportunities to ride someone of this curse, there is one possession type that cannot be as easily solved. The rarest possession type, Absorbed Possession, is when a creature takes the control of another’s mind by absorbing their body or mind into their own. The subject then becomes a part of this higher-powered mind, which there are only few cures to break them away from this hive mind, which range from simple remedies to something as terrible as… a-as death.”

Aniko stumbled when she read the last word.

“The rest of these Possession Types don’t look like they fit our people,” Salty sighed, leaning back. “I’m so hungry,” he groaned.

“We’re in a kitchen!”

“W-Well, I don’t want to disturb Black Molly’s stuff!”

“I’m sure she won’t notice,” Marigold reasoned.

Salty stared at Marigold incredulously. “She’ll definitely notice!” he cried.

“Aw, c’mon! We can’t starve!” Marigold headed over to the foods, ignoring Salty’s cries of dismay. She picked an apple out of the bag and promptly bit into it. Salty stared at her in astonishment as Marigold took another bite.

“Whoah,” he sighed. “Such spirit!”

Aniko eventually joined Marigold, hopping on the counter top and pulling bread from one of the pantries. Soon, everyone except Salty was eating.

“We should probably take this book back up to the first deck so we can read it in a safer place,” Aniko eventually said through bites.

Spoons nodded, and the group began to file toward the door. That is, all but Salty, who was instead staring longingly at the food.

“Just take some!” Aniko sighed.

Salty wavered a bit, then dashed forward toward the cabinets, pulling things out to eat.

“Finally!” Aniko rolled her eyes.

“What’re you making?” Marigold peered at Salty’s meal.

“Cinnamon toast with a vinegar dressing.”

“Eeeeww!” Marigold laughed. “That’s so gross!”

Salty huffed. “No, it’s not! Now, it should be ready in another five minutes, when I can apply the cinnamon and let it roast for another–“

“Nuh, uh!” Aniko strode forward and grabbed the back of Salty’s robe. “We’re not gonna wait another twenty minutes for you to make yourself some food! We need to go back!”

“I said five minutes not twenty-“

“I don’t care! Apply the cinnamon while we move!”

“But it’s not cooked yet!” Salty wailed.

“Sh!” Spoons put a finger up to his lips and glared at Salty.

Salty glared at Aniko as she pushed him toward the rest of the group. “You’re ruining my lunch,” he whispered sourly.

Aniko just stuck her tongue out at him.

When Marigold silently pushed the door open, she was met with the same deep black the group had encounter upon first coming to the lower decks. Unfortunately, her eyes were now adjusted to the dull lantern light they had had on in the kitchens, not the dim surroundings in the hall.

“Guys,” she whispered behind her. “I can’t see a thing!”

“Just go forward!” Aniko called from the back.

“But what if I run into a person?!”

“Marigold, go forward!” Aniko growled. “Before I murder Salty!”

“I’m trying to put my cinnamon on!”

“You’re getting it all over me!”

“No, you’re just stealing my cinnamon!”

“Marigold, go forward!”

Marigold hesitantly stepped into the hallway. Cringing, she waited, but no one hit her. She took another step forward. Then another.

“Guys!” she called back behind her. “I think we’re good–“

Marigold hit the floor face first, jamming her nose into the ground. Someone had shoved her down, two cold, clammy hands on her arm. Marigold pushed herself up onto her elbows and turned behind her.

Black Molly, still limp and lifeless, was floating threateningly above her, a hand raised to hit her again. Marigold scrambled to the side, shoving her body into the wall. There was something wet on her face, and she licked her upper lip. The familiar taste of blood filled her mouth.

Black Molly loomed closer to Marigold, but before she could bring her fist down again, someone lunged into Black Molly from the side. As the two collapsed together, Marigold saw the flailing limbs of Spoons and Molly.

Marigold scrambled over to Aniko and Salty, who seemed to be arguing.

“Oh my god!” Aniko growled. “Stop with the cinnamon! We’re literally being attacked! Put your sandwich down!”

“It’s not a sandwich, and this is the perfect opportunity to sprinkle it on without distractions!”

“UGH!” Aniko stomped her foot. “I hate you so much!”

“Um, guys?” Marigold nudged Aniko’s shoulder.

“I will personally murder you after this because just seeing you be killed isn’t satisfying enough!” Aniko hissed at Salty.

“Stop it!” Salty hugged his meal closer to his chest. “You’re getting spit on my meal!”

“Guys! Black Molly’s coming super close to us!” Marigold moaned.

“Oh, I’m super not sorry!”

Marigold scrambled behind Aniko. “I think she knocked out Spoons!”

“You’re just jealous!” Salty said.

“I’m so not!”

“Really?! Certainly does look like you’re jealous!”

Aniko slapped the cinnamon container out of his hands. Marigold, who was peering over Aniko’s shoulders, saw as it flew out of Salty’s hands and tumbled forward onto Black Molly’s arm. When the bottle made contact with Molly’s pale and creepy white skin, Marigold saw Molly start and suddenly begin to shake. She let a long, high-pitched shriek.

Marigold gasped, and Aniko took a step back, bumping into her. Even Salty was too interested in what was happening in front of him to get angry with Aniko.

Black Molly convulsed and black tendrils of smoke begin to seep from her eyes. Aniko pushed Marigold backward away from it quickly, stumbling in her haste. The smoke, which looked suspiciously like the suit-man himself, simply seeped down through the cracks in the floor board. Black Molly shook with the energy, and the smoke started rushing out faster and faster. Although Marigold was entranced by the scene, she shook with fear.

Suddenly, the last strands of smoke whipped out of Molly’s features. She was suspended in air, her eyes rolled back in her head. But suddenly they rolled forward, and Marigold could see that they were back to their normal color. The black that had invaded Molly’s eyes before was gone, and Marigold saw that Black Molly looked like she was confused. Then, gravity caught up with Molly, and she came crashing to the floor.

There was silence. Everyone stared at Black Molly, crumpled on the floor.

“Uh,” Salty whispered, “I think we should go!”

Marigold moved forward toward Molly, hesitantly. “Don’t go near her!” Aniko hissed at her. “Colonel P would murder me if I got you killed!”

Marigold ignored her and took another step. “Molly?” Marigold said quietly. Black Molly didn’t stir. Marigold, however, could see her shoulders rising and falling gently, as if she were sleeping. Marigold knelt by her and shook her carefully.

Molly remained still. Marigold rolled her over onto her back so she could see her face. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was even.

“Guys?” Marigold turned back to the others. “I don’t think she’s possessed anymore.”

Aniko cocked an eyebrow and knelt next to Marigold. She peeled the eyelids back from Molly’s eyes, but her pupils underneath weren’t black and clouded, but their normal earthy brown.

“Y’know,” Aniko said slowly, “I think you’re right! Oh my god! What did we do?!”

“It must’ve been the cinnamon!”

“Oh my god! Oh my god! We’ve just found a cure!”

“Yaaaaaay!” Marigold threw her hands up in the air.

“Yes!” Aniko grinned. “We can get our friends back!”

“Wait.” Salty’s face suddenly went cold. “Do you think that evil guy can tell when someone’s freed?”

Aniko froze. “Oh, no,” she sighed.

“We gotta get outta here fast!” Salty whisper-yelled, his breath quickening.

“Agreed. I’ll get Molly. Marigold, you get Spoons. Pretty sure he’s been knocked out too.”

The group pounded up the stairs back to their safe floor, Marigold slow under the weight of Spoons.

Aniko and Marigold deposited their unconscious friends gently on the floor while Salty reapplied the barricade.

“I think we should put Molly in the cell till we know she’s okay and definitely not possessed,” Aniko said, her hands on her hips, “and Spoons’ll prolly wake soon enough. He doesn’t look that hurt. Just stick ‘im in the medical bay ’till he wakes up.”

Marigold nodded and picked Spoons up again, huffing from the weight. Aniko took Molly by the armpits and dragged her over into the cell, throwing the door closed when she was in.

“Now,” Aniko huffed. “We wait.”

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Creators PotatoCat and SquirrelHat would like to apologize for the possibly horrible Russian translations used for Spoons’s dialogue. However, since they both don’t known Russian, they were forced to used Google Translate and have no idea if it’s accurate or not. Thank you!

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Writing done by PotatoCat. Editing and art done by SquirrelHat.